The present invention relates to a replay device which downloads and replays contents stored by a server device which has been selected from among a plurality of server devices.
In the prior art, the so-called “Digital Living Network Alliance” system has become widespread. In this DNLA, a replay device is connected to a plurality of server devices via a router or the like. Generally, such a replay device is termed a Digital Media Player (DMP). Furthermore, the server devices are termed Digital Media Servers (DMS). Contents are stored upon each of the server devices. Furthermore, each of the server devices classifies and manages the contents which it stores by various classification categories, and by properties of these classification categories. The user is able to select any one of the server devices with the replay device, and to search upon the selected server device for contents by specifying the type of the classification category and a property of that classification category. And the user downloads the desired contents which he has found from the server device to his replay device, and replays that contents with his replay device.
Accordingly, without being conscious of the location of installation of a personal computer or a hard disk recorder or the like which functions as a DMP, the user of DNLA is able to actuate an AV device or the like which functions as a DMP, and to replay and view contents stored upon a DMS with a DMP.
Furthermore, even if there is no definite current demand from a user, a device which can select an appropriate forwarding address for processing such a demand has been proposed (in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication 2006-228201). With this device, classification information is stored which establishes correspondence between classification categories into which data description objects are classified in a hierarchical manner, and forwarding addresses. Furthermore, with this device, when a notification of non-processing is received from a forwarding address to which has been forwarded a user demand which has been received, then the classification information which is stored is searched, and the classification category of this forwarding address from which this notification of non-processing has been transmitted and has arrived is acquired. And, using this classification category which has thus been acquired, a forwarding address is inferred for which the possibility is high that the demand of the user can be processed, and this forwarding address is taken as the new forwarding address for received data. With this device, the user demand which has been received is re-transmitted to the new forwarding address.
However if, without being aware that a DMS is currently selected upon which the contents are not stored, the user searches for contents which he desires while specifying the type of classification category and a property thereof to such a DMS, then, when he realizes that the desired contents are not stored upon the DMS which is selected, he comes to select a different DMS. With a DMP according to the prior art, searching of contents which is performed while designating the type of classification category and a property of this classification category is only valid for the DMS which is selected at that time point. Due to this, when searching upon a different DMS from the one which has been selected this time, the user is required to repeat the designation of a similar type of classification category and property thereof. In particular, when the user does not know upon which DMS the contents which he desires are stored, sometimes he repeats selection of a new DMS as many times as he desires, and in such a case, each time he selects a new DMS, it becomes necessary for him to repeat the designation of the type of classification category and its property. Accordingly, there has been the problem from the point of view of the user that the ease of use is not good.
The object of the present invention is to provide a replay device which enhances the ease of use when searching for and replaying desired contents from among a plurality of server devices upon which contents are stored.